Tip: Doghouse Platform to work on Engine

[The_Handier_Man1]

From: Jupp318  (Original Message)
Sent: 6/25/2004 7:11 PM

This may lead to a whole new discussion board!

My tip of the week is a platform that takes the place of the doghouse whilst working on the front of the engine.  Having discovered that my alternator had been mounted incorrectly by a previous owner, I had to set about putting things right.  The problem was a problem bolt, and there's nothing worse than a problem bolt other than one that's difficult to put a wrench on!.  My back was aching I couldn't reach the wrench, things just wern't going well.  So I thought I would make a platform that I could lay on without hurting myself or the dekicate linkages on the carb.  The resultant platform I have photographed and added to my album.  You will also be able to see that I have removed the fan in preparation of fitting an electric one from permacool supplied by Summit.

I did fire up the ol' girl without the fan attached and couldn't believe how much quieter she ran.  I think even if you don't go the electric fan route, then you might consider making the fan all bright and shiny again.  All that noise must cost!.

Cheers Ian...



From: Liv42dayOK
Sent: 6/27/2004 7:34 PM

That's a simple, yet very clever idea, Ian!  I had thought of having some sort of "Post of the Week" to cover things like this but, perhaps I can make a board like CF has... "Tips & Tricks" where our members can post all kinds of nifty improvisations they've come up with over the years.  Like the one on CF, this would be solely for sharing these little stratagems and members can further question the author on "how to" and add in how it worked for them.

A Tip & Tricks Message board?  What thinkest the membership?

- Sob



From: DanD2soon
Sent: 6/27/2004 8:41 PM

Sob,

Sounds like a good idea - I keep a subdirectory in my "RV" bookmarks for "Neat ideas & timesavers."

DanD

p.s. Pics of Ian's simple & I'm sure effective platform are not here.



From: 70winnie
Sent: 6/28/2004 2:31 PM

I pretty much consider all of CWM to be a "tips & tricks" board

I think I'd rather each new tip or trick be posted to a new discussion (thread) with its own relevant subject, than to have them all bundled together on one board.  I feel it's especially important to have relevant subjects because the message search is subject-based instead of body-based.  Perhaps if we could get a really good search engine to regularly (nightly?) index the site, it wouldn't be so important.



From: Jupp318
Sent: 6/28/2004 5:52 PM

70Winnie,

  I must admit I agree with your comments.  My comment was really tongue in cheek and if it came to a vote I would say let's stay as we are, although it would be nice to have an album or two so that photo's showing these tips didn't get buried in personal albums.

Cheers Ian...



From: Liv42dayOK
Sent: 6/28/2004 10:08 PM

Good points and support on each side!  One issue with the search engine is that, since this is a free web-group, we are limited in what we can use.  CF manufactured the one I use specifically for free MSN Groups and it is free.  Believe me, I wish there were one that automatically indexed messages nightly that we could use like Yahoo Groups has (even though I don't like the format);  I wouldn't have to do it manually every week or two.  But, the one we have beats the livin' tar out of when we didn't have one at all, not so very long ago! 

The issue with just posting a tip or trick as a new Discussion is, someone has to be looking for it to find it with keywords which are a correct match to the title and they may have to skip through numerous other Discussions to get to it.  It would be nice to have them all together in one spot so that members could say, "oh, look... I wonder what kind of tips I can find there!" and just browse them as well. 

A picture album would be great too because the pix can be right there along with good descriptions.  The problem is, the dawggone albums are always moving and the older it gets, the further down the line it goes... but, I could put a link to it on the side-bar which would take members right to it.  The other thing is... there will be tips with no pictures!  Having a message board separate and a picture album is a bit too confusing, I think.  Finally, the pictures can be added to the messages on a Tips Message Board.  Of course, we know how the format can vary greatly when pix are added!

One easy way to collect the tips in one easily found place without having an addtional message board, with or without pictures, would be to simply lead the Discussion title with "Tip:...." i.e. " Tip:  How to fix and maintain your classic Winnebago without swearing. "  They would all fall together in one section in the Message Search and could be easily referred to and still be included in the appropriate topic Message Board. 

Feedback? - Sob